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December 5, 2014

Rest In Peace: Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)

Today we mourn the death of international hero Nelson Mandela. His life personifies 'the heart of a lion'. He led the fight against apartheid with extraordinary vigor and resilience after spending nearly three decades of his life behind bars. He sacrificed his private life and his youth for his people, and remains South Africa's best known and loved hero.

Mandela was born July 18, 1918. He was jailed in November 1962 for leaving the country illegally and for incitement to strike. While serving the sentence he was charged with sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In prison Mandela demonstrated his heart by never compromising his political principles. He was always a source of strength for the other prisoners. Nelson Mandela's reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant Black leader in South Africa and became a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom.

Villagers, do you remember your participating in protests against apartheid? Do you remember how you felt when Mandela was finally released from prison? Can you deny that this quite man of peace found a way into your heart?

21 comments:

Hi Wayne, The 1ST TIME I'd ever heard of Nelson Mandela was when Heathcliff Huxtable's grandbabies were born on The Cosby Show and in my ghetto ignorance I declared, "those were the stupidest names I had ever heard of for young kids!" smh

Lawd..times have changed.

When I learned of Nelson Mandela and his wife at the time, Winnie...i was humbled and inspired by this man of strength and his humility. To think of the conditions he survived and talk about his experiences without malice is nothing short of miraculous. The demise of his marriage to Winnie, saddened me but I understood that too many things had transpired.

Ignorant no more, Mandela's heart is one that we'd all should be fortunate to have...even if it's just 1/1,000,000th of his heart.

A great man he is. I so remember how I felt when he was finally released. Let's celebrate. He was the classic political prisoner, the remained constant in his beliefs. That's what makes him so special. How can you not love someone like that? Excellent choice for heart. Have a great MM Villager. :)

Bria - I forgot about the Huxtable grandbabies (smile). I was sad to see that Nelson and Winnie Mandela's marriage didn't survive his freedom, however, I am glad that he later found a woman to marry and spend his remaining years with ...

Sandee - I remember when Nelson Mandela came to America on a tour. I was living in Detroit at the time and he came to Tiger Stadium to talk. It was a remarkable time and event...

What a wonderful choice! I remember Mr. Nelson's release, and I remember his speech at the end of Malcolm X when he repeated the words of Malcolm X's speech..."

"We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence..."

For whatever reason, I was extremely moved hearing these words from his lips...I'm guessing it's because of his history and all that he had gone through, these words were so true and relevant to him...

He is one man that I truly admire and would probably break into tears if I had the honor of ever meeting...

I remember when Mandela walked through the gates of the prison and I felt such relief that he was finally free to live out the rest of his life in peace. He paid a heavy price for freedom, but yet he was not bitter. We all can learn from his humility, his determination and his fierce loyalty to his people. I was elated when he became the president of South Africa, a place that meant such torment to blacks for so long. While South Africa still has its share of problems with high crime rates and high unemployment rates, it is a far better place than it once was. The government needs to fix the issues that continue to dog the country, which can all be fixed.

Hats off to Nelson Mandela. God had a plan for him through all the hardship and pain, he was victorious.

On the day of Mandela's release, my work associates and I brought our video cameras to work and made videos for our children. Each of us spoke to how we felt about his imprisonment and fortitude to endure for so long. We spoke of the significance of the day and what it meant to our lives, and what we believe it meant for our children's lives. It was really something.

Janet - Thank you for sharing your insights and memories. Perhaps someone reading his message will be encouraged to do right and act right today...

Shelia - that must be a remarkable piece of film footage. I would imagine that your children will appreciate even more today (2008) than they did then (1990). Have you thought about pulling it out to show again today?

Actually Villager, we've never shown it to them. At the time we were doing a sort of "time capsule" thing. We wanted to wait until they were all adults so that it could have a greater significance to them. My daughter was 2 years old at the time. She's 19 now. I think that I'll hold off another couple of years until she's 21.

And yes, it's a tremendous tape. A variety of races, perspectives and emotions. We did a good thing.

I remember clearly that day. The sun was shining in S.A. and in my hometown. I listened to Bryant Gumble talk about Mandela's life and accomplishments. Then I saw him and he smiled just like the sunshine.

I am so pleased to have born witness to this wonderful human being's release from captivity. He remained proud, strong, positive and an inspiration to his people and so many around the world.